Month: January 2014

Glass tiles make the roof for solar panels

A new technology that allows sunlight to heat up the house completely silently, with zero carbon and with minimal running costs are now being developed. With the help of KTH researcher Peter Kjaerboe and many others. This is through the use of glass tiles on the roof, which allows light which can be used as energy to pass through to the fabric layers below.

Glass tiles are the same as conventional roof tiles, except the glass passes light to the fabric substrate.As a result When light passes through the glass and hits the fabric it is converted into heat.The heated air can then either heat the house directly or transferred to the liquid-heat, says Peter Kjaerboe.

The system can be integrated with other energy systems such as district heating, geothermal heating, heat pump, pellet, wood, oil or electric boiler.

Climate Pact member SolTech Energy markets solar power solution, whose life expectancy is estimated to be at least 40 years.

Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Texas have received hundreds of complaints, an AP investigation revealed

LINDSAY ABRAMS

A jar holding waste water from hydraulic fracturing is held up to the light at a recycling site in Midland, Texas, Sept. 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)

For a process that’s driving America’s energy boom, the things we don’t know about fracking for oil and natural gas often seem to surpass that which we do. One thing we do know: It involves pushing gallons of chemical-laden water into the ground, which has the potential to seep into nearby sources of drinking water. Leaving aside the fact that gas and oil companies aren’t required to disclose exactly which chemicals they’re using, actual information about water contamination’s scope and severity, along with other details crucial to public knowledge and health, is hard to come by.

In states at the forefront of the past decade’s boom in drilling for gas and oil, the Associated Press found hundreds of complaints about well-water pollution, a number of which were confirmed by officials:

— Pennsylvania has confirmed at least 106 water-well contamination cases since 2005, out of more than 5,000 new wells. There were five confirmed cases of water-well contamination in the first nine months of 2012, 18 in all of 2011 and 29 in 2010. The Environmental Department said more complete data may be available in several months.

— Ohio had 37 complaints in 2010 and no confirmed contamination of water supplies; 54 complaints in 2011 and two confirmed cases of contamination; 59 complaints in 2012 and two confirmed contaminations; and 40 complaints for the first 11 months of 2013, with two confirmed contaminations and 14 still under investigation, Department of Natural Resources spokesman Mark Bruce said in an email. None of the six confirmed cases of contamination was related to fracking, Bruce said.

— West Virginia has had about 122 complaints that drilling contaminated water wells over the past four years, and in four cases the evidence was strong enough that the driller agreed to take corrective action, officials said.

— A Texas spreadsheet contains more than 2,000 complaints, and 62 of those allege possible well-water contamination from oil and gas activity, said Ramona Nye, a spokeswoman for the Railroad Commission of Texas, which oversees drilling. Texas regulators haven’t confirmed a single case of drilling-related water-well contamination in the past 10 years, she said.

Councils that back fracking will get to keep more money in tax revenue, David Cameron has said as he urged opponents to “get on board”.

Comments

Mrs Vee
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:35

If fracking was the right thing to do Cameron wouldn’t need to offer tax bribes, would he?

Remus13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:32

Bedrock that has taken millions of years to form – destroyed in moments for a quick profit. And the irony is that some fracking will be done by companies from countries where the practice is banned. We need more research before taking this irreversible step.

AMc13TH JANUARY 2014 – 12:17

What concerns me is the blatent ignorance around this whole subject. Just look at all the comments on this posting. I’m neither for nor against as no one has actually properly explained the pros & cons. But we can’t all keep saying to No Nuclear, No Windfarms, No burning of coal, No Solar Farms, No fracking, we need proper debate and leadership based on facts not emotion.

reenie
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:30

Total is investing in u.k. franking because France has rejected it outright. What does that tell you !!

Megan
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:27

This is a flagrant abuse of the taxation system. A council’s obligations & duty of care to those living in its area won’t change, so altering its funding on such a flimsy pretext is outrageous – whatever you think about fracking!

Lai
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:31

David Cameron is a threat to the British public.

Simon Johnson
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 11:22

It seems clear that we do not know what irreversible damage fracking might cause. If multinational corporations, and a Conservative government, were not promoting it, we might be able to believe what the scientists say. As it is, we can’t. This is short-term profit and long-term risk. If it were about fuel security, we would be exploiting sustainable resources. Shale gas is not sustainable.

stokiemart
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:37

In addition to the obvious conflict of interests this corrupt government is engendering one notes that Total cannot destroy the French environment as fracking in illegal there. But hey, come over to the UK, the Tories will sell anything they can get away with and will help you profit at the expense of the British people and environment. You live in a corporatocracy dressed as a liberal democracy.

Spycatcher
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:28

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules.

BDS Now
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 11:48

Lets all club together to get a licenses to frack in Chipping Norton, near Chequers, Windsor and Sandringham. If they are rejected … then we know for sure / conclusively that there is something wrong with fracking.

Mark
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:46

Fracking in the USA has resulted in gagging orders.
This in itself is an infringement on freedom of speach.
If fracking companies had nothing to hide, then why the gagging orders?

The French have banned fracking.

Pumping carsagenic chemicals into the ground will seep into the water table.

Councils of the UK. Beware the poisoned apple you being offered.

Mark
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:30

Is this just not bribery?

Council funds cut by reduced parking charges and austerity measures will need to fill the gap.
tempting them with revenue from fracking is perverse to say the least.

flipmode
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:28

Let’s hope the local council leaders take the correct advise from specialists rather than seeing ‘££££’ signs appearing infront of their eyes.

As most councils are short of money this could be an easy way out without looking into all apsects of fracking

Sixp
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:46

62. RonnieP

The sooner the left wing open toed sandal brigade understand this, the better.

==
Just grow up.

There’s a pile of evidence to illustrate environmental concerns over fracking and a proper debate is needed.

You may not care a less about the environment, others do.

Davertheraver

13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:38

All our energy needs could met and then some, by investing in insulation, solar panels on virtually every roof, more off shore wind, tidal power, combined heat and power… the solutions are all there. But the ruling class wouldn’t tolerate the people being dependent from the state-corporate alliance for energy, it’s far more profitable to give the Earth an enema and continue ‘business as usual’

Nemesis
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:50

Blackmail & corruption is truly wonderful isn’t it?

They would turn in their graves
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:42

Once they’ve dug these fracking wells, they turn their drills horizontally and can drill for 2-3 miles in every direction, blasting rock with high pressure mains water(expect water prices to increase and become scarce). They could be drilling right under your house and you don’t even know it! Or under an entire town!
Water gets everywhere, just ask a plumber, and this is HIGHLY TOXIC water.

JayTime
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:36

Cracking is a terrible idea. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that pumping large quantities of water and chemicals into the ground is going to cause problems.

Another case of short term financial gain setting the stage.

Cheddy
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:48

The downside of 5-year gov is no one wants to care beyond the 5-year mark. Fracking creates jobs, but at what cost? Smoking create jobs too – look where that got us. Legalising drugs will also create jobs.
The gov hires PR companies to look at which short term plan the people are more likely to swallow and then jump on it.
When it goes wrong, we won’t get the truth – just years of finger pointing.

dmcc
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 11:21

1. Bribery, pure and simple. I bet that councils which refuse get their grants cut.

2. So much for the “greenest government ever”.

3. I note it’s Total, a French company. Fracking is banned in France.
Funny, that.

Stockholm’s largest photovoltaic plant has been inaugurated. The plant supplies approximately 180,000 kWh per year, which is a doubling of Stockholm’s production of solar electricity.

– I am proud that Ports of Stockholm now has a photovoltaic system that contributes to the increased use of an alternative and environmentally-friendly energy sources. This is the first time that a photovoltaic system has been economically viable, and produced a profit, says Sten Nordin (M), Mayor of Stockholm.

The photovoltaic system consists of 919 solar panels, which cover an area of 1,500 square meters and are mounted on the roof of Tray 6 in Frihamnen. Tray 6 is a giant ( 40 000 square meters ) building of archives, warehouses and offices. 15 percent of the building’s total annual electricity needs will be met by solar energy.

The price of solar panels has dropped so much that for the first time we can expect to be able to produce electricity at a cost that is competitive. We will pay a lower price for it, than we currently pay for “normal” electricity, says Helena Bonnier (M) , Chairman of the Ports of Stockholm.

Stockholm is in 2015 to get a biogas plant in Sofielund in Huddinge. Energy company Eon and Scandinavian Biogas namely signed an agreement for the delivery of over 4 million cubic meters of biogas per year, and the biogas will be supplied from the plant in Sofielund as Scandinavian Biogas plan to build.

The plant will mainly be supplied with food waste from Stockholm’s southern municipalities. The agreement means that an increased supply of locally produced biogas is ensured, and that the share of biogas in the vehicle gas supply Transport market of Stockholm, is growing.

– Increased production of biogas is of national interest, and deemed necessary if Sweden is to achieve its set carbon target, where Eon is a vital player in the market. In our cooperation we create synergies for both parties and we look forward with confidence for the future, remarked Michael Olausson (Vice President of Scandinavian Biogas)

Hello, the very point is that we have passed the tipping point… consumption has finally taken us to a Point of No Return. Beyond the point of no return, it´s all about damage control – The Titanic sequel consequences – Why was the Titanic disaster an extinction? Mayabe, if we do as we should.. ..need 2 STOP all counterproductive activities now!

Check out this documentary

The Titanic Syndrome is a documentary film made in 2008 by Nicolas Hulot and Jean-Albert Hare, released on 7 October 2009. It follows the eponymous book published in 2004: The Titanic Syndrome

The logic step is to deal with, accept and agree on the above the sooner, the better!
/CCCRdg